We learn much from the communities near our operations, especially from our indigenous neighbors. It is important to support them in celebrating their culture and traditions to ensure that their cultural heritage is preserved for future generations. In 2008, in partnership with the Papua Provincial government, PT Freeport Indonesia supported the development and publication of the book, Introducing Papua, which will be a resource for students throughout Papua. In the village of Kiboko, near our Tenke Fungurume mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we participated with the village chief and local residents to hold a traditional ceremony commemorating the new resettlement location. In 2008, we worked in partnership with the City of Bisbee, Arizona, and its community leaders to preserve a number of historical mining headframes (structural frames located above an underground mineshaft). This project represents a key element in the sustainability of Bisbee’s heritage tourism as Arizona’s “Queen of the Copper Camps.”

PT Freeport Indonesia helps to preserve the unique traditions of the Papuan people in Indonesia through its support for cultural events and festivals. Photo: Artists from the Kamoro ethnolinguistic group demonstrate their wood-carving skills in a company-sponsored exposition at the Jakarta International School. The El Abra mine in Chile supports a program that summons young professionals to begin their careers by working in a community service capacity to help impoverished rural areas throughout the country. A recent project includes the construction of a cafe and information center, to be built near the Lasana Pukara National Monument (pictured), a 12th century cliff-top fortress.

 

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